When I Come Around
by B-Blochowicz77
Summary: Nine years after Aria and Ezra are caught, Ezra is released from Prison. Aria tries her best to remain faithfull to her engagment to Noel, but her true feeling have a habit of showing themselves. She may have another shot, or has Ezra changed too much?


An idea I had. Im not sure if I want to continue this story or not. Please Review. Let me know what you thing or if you are interested.! Thank you for reading

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><p>" The Pennsylvania Parole Board is under serious scrutiny today, after chairman Robert Medford announced that former Rosewood teacher Ezra Fitz has been granted parole. Fitz was charged in February 2011 for Lude and indecent acts with a Minor: six-teen year old student Aria Montgomery. Ezra had agreed to a plea bargain, reducing his offense from statutory rape. After his conviction he received multiple counts of Assault and Battery, prolonging his original six year sentence to nine. Fitz was said to be " a threat to employees and fellow inmates.", causing him to spend five of those years in solitary confinement. Despite his record and blatant disrespect for his previous three hearings, the Board agrees that Ezra has made significant progress. Fitz has been scheduled for release later this week."<p>

"Aria ! Are you listening to this bullshit?"

"No, Noel I'm working." She said answered, continuing to type on her laptop. After High school Aria decided to change her career path and take journalism. It hardly seemed fair that she teach at any level, when Ezra couldn't: She at least owed him that much. Since graduating from Hollis, she managed to land a job at a local Gazette, writing sarcastic articles on current events. Not exactly what she had planned, but it paid well and she was happy. She supposed.

Noel slammed his beer on the coffee table and stood up from the couch. "They're letting that perverted piece of shit out of prison!" Aria looked up from her computer to see Ezra's mug shot displayed on the flat screen. It was enough to break her heart every time she saw it. She looked back down at the keys, as her pulse began to quicken. The sharp pang of excitement burst in her chest at the news, and felt as if she could finally breath again. " I can't fucking believe this!" He continued, brining her back down to reason. She shook her head and began typing again. "He did his time Noel. Let it go." " No! I'm not just going to 'let it go'!" "I'm four feet away from you. There's no need to yell" She sighed. This apartment had been feeling more and more crampt every day. "This guy is sick, Aria!" She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his statement. His ignorance never ceased to amaze her. "I think you may be taking this a little too far." "You can't be serious! After what he did to you!" Losing her temper, Aria slapped her hands down on the wooden surface. "HE DIDN'T " She rubbed at her face harshly, trying to calm down. "Forget it. I don't want to talk about this." " you never want to talk about it" She pushed away from the table, deciding that pleasing him was better than fighting " I'm glad that your concerned about this, I really am, but we have nothing to worry about. We'll probably never even see him again. I love you, Okay So don't-." She was cut off by the ring of her cell phone, Pouting she stormed over to the kitchen. "Let the flood gates open!" she said grimly, snatching her phone from the counter.

" Hi Mom." Aria answered, clearly unenthused. " Honey! Are you watching the news?" " Yeah. I heard." Aria propped the phone on her shoulder and fiddled with her engagement ring. "I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt here Aria," Shocked, she almost dropped the phone. For the past decade her mother's opinion of Ezra could be summed up in six words "Rot in Hell, you perverted Bastard". Byron's wasn't much different. This was defiantly a first for them. "Hypothetically of course" "Of course" Aria knew that had been too good to be true. "If his intentions were as innocent as you allegedly believe they were-" "Really Mom?" She interrupted incredulously. Aria had tried to convince her parents from the beginning that Ezra hadn't brain washed or conditioned her into anything. It was completely consensual, but they continued to ignore reality. "—He isn't the man you supposedly knew." Ella continued, " Prison changes people in the worst ways." "It's been nine years, mom ,even if he hadn't been in prison he wouldn't be the same person." "I'm being serious Aria. Stay away from him." Ella warned sternly. This was ridiculous . It wasn't until she had access to him, that her parent's fabricated version began to show its flaws. 'I hope the truth hurts' Aria thought to herself, and laughed bitterly into the phone. "Listen, we love you. We're just looking out for your safety". "I know mom." Aria sighed, but she wouldn't give her the satisfaction of telling her not to worry. " You're getting married soon, don't throw that away." Ella's desperation was becoming so painfully clear, it was almost amusing. "Have you set a date yet?" Aria glanced over at Noel, who was glaring at her by the couch. "No not yet" Her phone buzzed on her ear, accompanied by a low beep. " that's my other line mom, I'll call you later"

She turned her back to Noel. Hit end then answer.

"Hey Hannah." "Hey. Did you watch the news." "Yeah. I heard."

…

"Sorry your first day out had to be like this" Adam said, referring to the rain beating against the windshield. Ezra tore his gaze from the passing city landscape. "huh? Oh no it's fine." He replied and turned back to the window. Ezra was detached obviously. As a lawyer, Adam was accustomed to dealing with convicts and inmates, but Ezra was his older brother: Someone he cared about. Regardless of what may or may not have happened, he knew all to well what living in a hostile and suppressed environment, such as prison, did to a man's psychological state. Treading on the most innocent of subjects could back fire, he had to find neutral ground. Finally to break the tension he settled with: "You don't seem too excited" "What's there to be excited about?" Ezra adjusted the waistband of his jeans for the millionth time. He felt strangely awkward to be in street clothes again. "What are you talking about? You're free! You can do whatever you want now! Well, with exceptions. But if I were in your position I'd be ecstatic." " Goddamn it Adam, you don't just don't understand." "What? I was just saying-" "At twenty-four I had already climbed my way to middle class, only to fall face first to the bottom. There's nothing left for me out here." Ezra sighed and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one. Adam was about to protest but thought it best to let him calm down, and cracked the passenger window for him. This was going to prove more difficult than Adam had expected. Silently he wondered: just what was left of the Ezra he used to know? Neither spoke until Adam parked the car in front of a trio of large four story buildings. "I set you up with an apartment" Adam stated shutting off the ignition. Ezra stubbed his cigarette out in the empty ashtray, exhaling smoke through his nose. "You didn't need to do that Adam" "I'll take that as a thank you, and it really wasn't any trouble. If it makes you feel any better I took the money out of what was left over from your teaching salary. "

Apartment number 37 was on the fourth floor of the first building, and had the unmistakable smell of weed. " It isn't much," Adam said opening the door " but it's something at least. I'm sure it will air out soon. The kids who rented it last have only been gone a day or two." He walked inside to open the curtains "It's a six month lease and it's been paid in full. So that gives you time to find a job and figure a few things out." He was rambling under the awkward tension. Ezra stood in the door way observing his new 'home' . Even though it was just a small efficiency, compared to his 8X10 it was massive. What struck him most was his furniture. He hadn't put much thought into what his family had done with everything while he was gone: threw it away, burned it , sold it. But here it was, laid out in front of him. His old futon set up to his left against the wall. His TV and couch to his right, and his desk Pushed carelessly to the center, along various boxes. "so uh what do you think?"

"You kept all my things" he marveled moving forward and setting his bag of belongings in an arm chair. "Yeah. Some of your clothes and books are around here somewhere." Ezra kept his gaze to the wooden floor: never making eye contact. "Adam, I- uh , well I really- " Frustrated he slammed the door, and griped the back of the chair. The simple act of thanking someone made him feel vulnerable and weak, as if he were incapable of helping himself. He wasn't a child. "You're welcome" Adam smiled at his brother's attempt at gratitude, but Ezra only dug his nails further into the leather: nostrils flaring. "But uh. This isn't the end of the world. You could still go back to college and get your masters. Be a professor" He offered changing the subject. "I don't know. I can't see anyone hiring me, let alone a college" "You never know" He countered. Ezra snorted a laugh and leaned against the chair "Okay." Adam continued, "Well what about that memoir you were writing, how did that turn out?". "I never finished it." "You should! A client of mine is a publicist. He owes me a few favors." "I doubt any one will want to read a book written by a convicted sex offender." Adam pinched the bridge of his nose. Irritating as it was dealing with him, he couldn't began to imagine what Ezra was going through. He just needed time to adjust and a little hope to survive on. "Well uh, I have to get back to the office. Just think it over for me, and when you're done let me know." Adam reached out to pat him affectionately on the arm, but Ezra flinched away, squaring his shoulders at Adam's advances. "I'll see you later Ezra."

"Yeah later"

Adam shut the door, leaving Ezra standing alone in the overwhelming silence of his new surroundings. He sighed deeply and rummaged through the brown paper bag, which held the few items he owned while in prison, pulling from it a large bundle of paper. 'If only I could set aside my pride, just long enough to take some good advice, maybe I could actually redeem myself." He spoke aimlessly into the room, feeling like a fool for even thinking it. All though he cringed at the thought of willingly following orders, and his chest felt tight with an unwarranted resentment, he settled down at his desk, and began reading over the remnants of his downfall.


End file.
